


Preventative / Reactionary Care

by KrisseyCrystal (IceCreAMS)



Series: Priority (LoZ - D:BH AU) [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Android Link, Androids, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Zelda, Light Angst, Link's kind of adopted Zelda now...as much as an android can, Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Past Abuse, but it's ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-08 23:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19878109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceCreAMS/pseuds/KrisseyCrystal
Summary: Zelda is already curled underneath the brown motel blanket when Link returns to her, her soggy yellow curls splayed out onto the pillow and around her pale face. There’s a far-away look in her tired eyes.“Why do you think he didn’t love me?”





	Preventative / Reactionary Care

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: "You are very endearing when you're half asleep," given to me by my good friend, [Ollie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oliver__Niko/pseuds/Oliver__Niko). He SAID I could do Link & Zelda for it, buuuuuuut...I cheated because I already had this AU that's taken over my brain, so. Here it is. A drabble more for the D:BH AU. 
> 
> It got angsty, but then soft.

_ You are very endearing when you’re half-asleep. _

Link thinks it but does not sign it because if there is one thing that is true, it is that after their frantic escape, Zelda deserves her rest. She is loose and pliant in Link’s hands, her head lolling to the side and then lazily pitching forward. Her bunched-up cheek rests sleepily against the top of Link’s own rain-soaked hair as the android gently takes hold of her wettened boots and pulls them off her feet. Next to go are her socks. With pinched fingers, Link peels them free from small, wrinkled-raisin toes and pushes the girl upright so it can stand and set her socks over the air conditioner unit under the motel window to dry.

When Link rejoins her, Zelda’s chin is suspiciously low against her chest. Link presses against her shoulder gently, and Zelda wakes with a start. Her sea-green eyes are bleary and glassy when they peer up.

> **Zelda is exhibiting symptoms of a cold.  
** > **Registered Primary: PREVENTATIVE CARE.**

Link waves a hand and squats before her.  _ You should undress as much as you can before you go to bed. The cold from your clothes will make you sick if you sleep in them. _

Zelda nods. She blinks slowly, dazed. With a frown, she slips her fingers around the bottom edge of her sweater and begins to tug it up, but the rainwater weighs down the thick cotton and polyester threading. Zelda barely gets one arm out of a striped sleeve before a whine croaks out of her. “Can you help me, Link? I’m too tired…” 

Link nods. A small smile plays on its lips.

Together, they peel Zelda out of her clothes and leave her in a baggy, long-sleeved baseball shirt from the load of clothes they snagged, however reluctantly and unhappily on Zelda’s end--“Stealing’s bad _ ,  _ Link!”--from the nearby laundromat. A long stripe of dried tomato sauce is still splattered across her neck, a reminder of what prompted them to run in the first place. What had forced them to flee. 

Link puts up each article of Zelda’s clothing on the hangers available in the motel closet. Slowly, its eyes drift to the blow dryer in the bathroom.

> **Registered Secondary: MANUALLY DRY CLOTHES. (?)**

Perhaps once Zelda is asleep. 

Zelda is already curled underneath the brown motel blanket when Link returns to her, her soggy yellow curls splayed out onto the pillow and around her pale face. There’s a far-away look in her tired eyes. 

Slowly, Link sits at the edge of her bed and pulls the blanket up higher to her chin. It rubs a hand across to smooth out wrinkles behind her and over her, ensuring she is as snug and warm as she can be. Her form is so slight and small underneath the covers; she looks younger than her nine years of age. More fragile, somehow.

“Why do you think he didn’t love me?”

Link’s head snaps to Zelda.

The girl sniffs as she has all night and rubs the back of her wrist against her nose. She focuses her sea-green gaze resolutely on the far wall, as if, by an unhappy chance, she were to look away from it, she might break. 

“He always said such mean things.” Zelda’s brow furrows. “All the time. About how much money he had to spend to take care of me. About how he couldn’t buy anything he wanted and how he hated it. Even when I made extra sure to be super nice to him to see if maybe he might be nice back, he just…wasn’t happy with me.” 

Link puts a hand on Zelda’s side over the blanket.

“Link, do you think it was my fault?”

Link shakes its head.

Zelda’s eyes flicker towards it. Then, her brow bends. Something vulnerable and small and young and frightened and confused and  _ sad  _ fills her face until her eyes overflow with it. Small tears drip down her cheeks. “I should’ve been his real daughter. By blood. Maybe then that would’ve made things better. Maybe then he would’ve actually been happy. And we could’ve finally been a--”

She is not able to finish.

> **~~Registered Secondary: MANUALLY DRY CLOTHES.~~   
** > **Registered Secondary: COMFORT ZELDA.**

Link stands. 

With an involuntary jerk, Zelda’s knees pull up to her chest. Her small hands tighten into fists. The heels of her palms push against her eyes and her small chest wrings itself tight with every wrenched sob pulled up from her lungs. 

Link rounds the bed. 

Even though her tears, Zelda notices the sudden loss and jerks her head up from her hands to watch Link crawl on top of the covers. She sniffles, rolls over, and before she can open her mouth to ask, Link lays next to her and extends its arms.

Zelda’s eyes go wide.

In the next half of a second, Zelda is pressed as close as she can get: she burrows her face into Link’s chest and digs her shaking fingers into the sides of its stolen button-up though the baby blue cotton is still damp from the rain. 

Slowly, Link wraps its arms around her in turn. It places one hand on the back of her head.

“Promise me, Link,” Zelda’s warbling voice comes out muffled and unclear, but she does not move as if she has any intention of being better heard. In fact, her hands tighten against Link’s sides, burrowing closer yet. “Please. Promise me you won’t hate me or leave me. You can’t. I know I said I was mad about the lemonade thing and stealing the money from the cash register, but I really don’t want you to go. Not after today.” 

> **Registered Tertiary: STAY WITH ZELDA.**

Link does not think that will be a difficult task to promise and hold.

Gently, Link leans back. Zelda frowns up at him and sniffles her small mouth parted to question, until she sees the finger pressed against Link’s lips. Link brings that finger out and then presses the flat palm of its hand against its fisted other.

_ I promise. _

Zelda blinks. 

The small smile that grows wide and hopeful on her face could have powered Link for centuries.


End file.
